Hailing from Rowlett, Texas, the relative newcomer Ryan Alden is no stranger to the world of art and handcrafting. In addition to his work as a pipe-carver, Ryan has spent extensive time getting his hands dirty, over the years having studied ceramics, sculpting, drawing, painting, horticulture, leather-working, and wood-working in turn.

While the majority of his pipes are made from Italian or Algerian briar, he often works in alternative mediums like morta, strawberry wood, and olivewood, enjoying the challenge each brings and the lessons that he can bring back into his more traditional production. Alden is fascinated by natural materials, and enjoys experimenting with bamboo shanks and various exotic hardwoods and other organic mediums — like horn and antler — for use as stem ornamentation.